Help Me Choose: Operating Systems

The operating system is one of the most important programs on your computer.

— Every PC must have an operating system to run other programs. — Operating systems perform basic tasks such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the monitor, keeping track of files and directories on the hard disk, and controlling devices such as optical drives and printers. — Operating systems also manage how your computer accesses available networks.

In addition to the core features of Windows 7, Windows 8 offers exciting new features such as the Windows Store and touch support.

Plan to create a home network, enjoy multimedia entertainment on your PC or personalize it with photos and wallpapers

Create ad hoc wireless networks

Watch, pause, rewind and record TV on your PC

Windows 7 Professional

Want all the features in Windows 7 Home Premium and are:Windows 8 Pro in the future— Need Windows 7 Professional today but may want to use Windows 8 Pro in the future—Want to enable your Downgrade Rights* as defined in the Windows 8 EULA**. What is it: This offering*** is a License of Windows 8 Pro, with the installation of Windows 7 Professional. This does not have a license of Windows 7 Professional.

A small or medium organization looking to work from anywhere

Location-aware printing

Mobility center with presentation settings

Remote desktop host

Concerned about safeguarding your organization

File system encryption

Advanced backup

Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate with XP Mode installed

Want to move to Windows 7 but are concerned that your applications aren’t compatible

Windows 7 with XP Mode installed — Windows XP Mode is a new benefit of Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate with additional application compatibility. It allows you to install and run many of your productivity applications for Windows XP directly from your Windows 7-based PC. This option includes all the features and functions of Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, with the added benefit of XP Mode.

Windows 7 Ultimate

Want all the features in Windows 7 Professional and:

Need to manage multiple languages and operating systems

Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Pack

Subsystem for UNIX®

Would like to encrypt data on your PC and portable storage devices to help protect against loss

BitLocker™ and BitLocker to Go™ (TPM required)

Have remote users who need seamless access to corporate networks without connecting to a virtual private network (VPN)

* Downgrade Rights enable a customer who purchases a Windows® 8 Pro license to utilize a different operating system in the place of the licensed OS. Specifically at Dell, we are enabling Windows 7 Professional in the place of Windows® 8 Pro. The PC licensed for Windows® 8 Pro may only have 1 Operating System installed at a time, so the customer may utilize a Windows® 8 Pro Operating System or Windows® 7 Professional. With this offering we are installing Windows® 7 Professional in place of Windows 8, but providing the license to Windows 8 Pro in the BIOS so that when the customer chooses to upgrade to Windows® 8, the customer will have a licensed and activated Operating System installed on the PC.

** The EULA is the End User License Agreement. This is an agreement between the PC Owner and Microsoft that enables the PC Owner’s right to use either Windows® 7 Professional or Windows 8 Pro. For reference this document can be accessed from the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/IntellectualProperty/UseTerms/Default.aspx (Instructions: Choose Pre-Installed on your computer from the computer manufacturer, Product Name: Windows, Version: 8 Pro, Language: your choice)

*** To enable downgrade to Windows® 7 on this system the BIOS settings on this system were changed to boot into legacy BIOS mode. If the BIOS setting is not changed to native UEFI mode boot prior to installing, Windows 8 Pro [update] Product or Windows® 8 Pro will install; however, the following Windows® 8 Pro [update] Product, Windows 8 Pro functionalities will not work as they rely on a native UEFI mode boot:• Secure Boot• Seamless Boot experience• Network unlock for Bitlocker for systems with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM)• eDrive support

Want to take advantage of the wide range of new Windows apps designed for Windows 8

Windows Store (wireless connectivity is required to access the Store)

Want real-time updates to the information you care about

Live Tiles

Want assurance that you always have the latest version of your Windows app

Windows Store always has the latest software available (wireless connectivity is required to access the Store)

Want secure boot up

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) BIOS that intercepts and notifies you of threats early in the boot process

Want to use cloud services to the fullest

Windows Store — purchased apps are available on multiple devices. Windows Store picks up from where you left off in a game or app; you can access your app from anywhere (wireless connectivity is required to access the Store)SkyDrive® — Windows 8 apps are more easily integrated with SkyDrive. (internet connection required)

Windows 8 Pro

Want all the features in Windows 8 and:

Plan to take your personal device (PC, tablet) into a domain-joined environment

Domain Join

Have a volume license agreement with Microsoft

Volume Licensing option

Want to encrypt your entire hard drive to help protect you against loss and theft